Flower and Sword
by WaterGoddess193
Summary: Haunted by dreams of a man she knows doesn't exist, Maiha knows that the disappearance of her best friend Yuri isn't ordinary. But what will she do when she is reunited with Yuri but in a different world. And what will she do when meets the man of her dreams but he's in love with Yuri? Can she make him fall for her or will she be forever alone? AUTHOR'S NOTE! PLEASE READ!
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first fanfic so please read and review. I would really like to know what you guys think about.**

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**Chapter 1: Run!**

**Maiha's POV**

"Run! Don't stop running." I ordered my brain. "If they catch you…"

I ran through the forest, my bare feet pounding on the forest floor. Leaves crunched beneath my feet. My torn clothes caught on the outstretched branches of the trees. I could hear the yells of the men behind me as they crashed through the trees. As I looked over my shoulder, I saw one of them trip and fall, but the rest were still chasing me and slowly, bit by bit, they were catching up.

Panic filled me as I ran on. The forest around me started to get lighter and the air started to clear. I could see a break in the forest ahead. Maybe it was a road or highway. If I found a road, I had a chance of being rescued. The thought of me finally being free filled me with hope. I ran faster as the light got closer and close.

I broke through the light and froze. "No, no, no, no, no, NO! It can't be. IT CAN'T BE!" I was at the edge of a lake with nothing but forest surrounding it. I felt despair come crashing down on me, bringing me to my knees. "No, this can't be the end." I thought.

"Come out; come out wherever you are girly." The menacing voice echoed through the forest. "Don't make this any harder. You know we'll catch you eventually. If you come out now, I promise I won't hurt you…..much." He laughed. I felt a shiver run up my back.

I couldn't let him catch me. But how? Then it hit me. The lake! I could hide out in the lake until they passed. I started wading into the lake. The water was cold and icy. I saw the men break through the trees. They spotted me in the lake and started entering the lake one by one.

"No, I can't let them catch me." I thought, "I can't let them bring me back to that hellhole. I sped up, pushing my way through the water. Slowly bit by bit, I felt them draw closer and closer. "I can't let them catch me. Water was MY element and I'll be damned if I let them catch me in water."

The cold had started seeping into my bones; making me colder then I had ever felt before. I shivered, but I kept on pushing onwards. I knew I had to go home. There was someone waiting for me. Waiting for me? No, the cold must be getting to me. There was no one waiting for me at home. But I knew I had to live for my parents, my friends. Suddenly I felt hands grab my ankles. I kicked them away but more hands grabbed my legs. I started to panic, I was being pulled under!

"Calm, my child," A voice spoke to me. "You are needed somewhere else."

"Take me home." I begged in my mind. "I just want to go home. Please just take me home. Take me to _him_." A man's face flashed in my mind. Short, blonde hair, kind brown eyes. A smile full of warmth and love.

"Calm down," The voice spoken again, "You are safe now." I relaxed, letting the hands pull me under. Somehow I knew that the voice wouldn't hurt me. I saw bubbles of air leave my mouth and float to the surface. A shadow passed over the water as though a bird had just flown overhead.

Just at the edge of consciousness, I heard a voice again. But it wasn't the same voice as before.

"Home is where I am, Maiha. Home is where I am." It was a man's voice and I knew it belonged to the man from my dreams. I finally let darkness claim me as I dreamed of him.

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**Hope you guys like it! Please review and tell me what you think. I'll try to post chapter 2 as soon as I can. My friend's drawing me a picture to use and I'll post that as soon as it's done.  
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	2. Chapter 2: My life so far

**This is just a filler chapter. Thanks for reviewing. Special thanks to vanishing-cookie-crumbs and galyardt.**

**Disclaimer: Red River unfortunately does NOT belong to me. It belongs to the beautiful Chie Shinohara.**

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**Chapter 2: My life so far**

Hi, my name's Mahia Kuran but my friends call me Maiha. I'm 15 and I've just started Year 10. I have long wavy black hair up to my waist and dark blue eyes with gold tints. I have fair skin and I'm considered 'gorgeous' by the boys in our town (like who believes them away. They only want to get into your pants.). I love to dance and sing, and I learnt gymnastics. Thanks to my parents and grandparents, I handy with a sword, bow and arrow. I also learnt how to ride and had my own horse until a few years ago.

My parents died when I was 8 and I've been living with my elderly grandparents until they died last year. Ever since then I've been by myself. Well, not really. I live by myself, but I always have the support of my best friend Yuri and her family. We've been best friends ever since kindergarten and we do everything together. But around 2 months ago, Yuri disappeared on her first date with Satoshi Himuro. Everyone thought she had just been kidnapped and a request for a ransom would eventually turn up, but it didn't. I knew Yuri's kidnapping wasn't normal. It had something to do with magic. But of course I couldn't tell anyone that. They would lock me up in a mental asylum.

A few weeks before Yuri disappeared; she called me in the middle of the night. She said that she had to talk to me urgently. The next day we met up at our favourite café. She told me about the strange occurrences that had been happening to her. First I didn't believe her. I mean, hands coming out of the bath tub. Hey, but who was I to judge? I could manipulate water for god's sake! But then later, on the way back to Yuri's house, we stopped at a river just to dip our feet in. I mean it was a very hot day! Anyway, when we dipped our feet into the river hands came out of the water and started pulling Yuri in. Quickly, I pushed the water to the other side of the bank until none of it could touch her. We got up and ran away. After that I believed her. I warned her to stay away from water, because next time I might not be able to help her.

There's something no one knows except for Yuri. I can control water. When I say control water, I mean I can form it into different shapes, freeze it and unfreeze it. Its call bending water. I can also heal people with the water, like if it's a minor injury, I can heal it on the person. If it's a major injury, I can transfer it to me. Other people's injuries help faster on me but as a result, my own injuries heal slower than a normal person's. I can also see flashes of the future in my dreams. Anyway, back to the story.

A boy in our class, Satoshi Himuro asked Yuri out on a date. She really wanted to go but he always suggested it at the wrong time or place. Like when it was raining or somewhere to do with water. Eventually they went to the movies but on the way there, Yuri disappeared. It was raining that day and she might have stepped in a puddle. Everyone was looking for her, but no one found her. I knew she had been taken by those hands and I knew I couldn't help her. I thought I would never see her again, until I met her 2 months after she disappeared.

In those 2 months, a lot happened to me as well. There was this boy in our school, he's a senior. His name's Shuri and he's the only son of the richest family in town. About a month before Yuri's disappearance, he asked me out and I agreed. I mean, who would miss out on the chance to go out with the hottest AND richest boy in town. At first he was really nice, but after a while he became really possessive and rude. One day he even hit me! I broke it off after that. He kept on following me and even broke into my apartment. I went to court and got a warrant against him. A week after that, Yuri disappeared. 2 days after she disappeared, Shuri came to me and proposed to me! I couldn't believe it! I mean after all he had done to me, he had the never to propose to me! Obviously I refused and he snapped. He knocked me unconscious and kidnapped me. When I woke up, I was tied to a chair in a room somewhere. He handed me over to his best friend, Zero. The next day, Shuri came back and proposed to me again. Again, I refused. He told Zero that I would not be fed for 2 days. And true to his word, I wasn't.

Throughout those 2 months, Shuri came every day and proposed to me. Every day, I refused. First, he denied me food, then water. Eventually he resorted to whipping me and beating me. After a while, I started notice a pattern in the comings and goings of the guards, Shuri and Zero. One day, I took a chance and escaped. And that's how I ended up running through a forest bare-footed.

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**Coming up...Zannanaza's and Maiha's first OFFICIAL meeting. Please read and review! **

**If you guys see any mistakes, please inform me! **


	3. Chapter 3: Rescued

**Disclaimer: Red River does NOT belong to me.  
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**Chapter 3: Rescued**

**Zannanaza's POV**

I walked through the gardens towards the hidden lake. I thought about my half-brother Kail and his concubine Yuri Ishtar. She was truly a sight to behold. She was extremely beautiful like the women my brother usually preferred, but she held a certain aura around her that drew others to her.

As I approached the lake, passing through the trees that kept the lake hidden, I saw the shimmering surface of the lake, the water as clear as glass. Suddenly I saw a hand, in the middle of the lake, break through the water, as though to touch or grab hold of something. A cloud of black surrounded the hand. Then as suddenly as it came, the hand and the cloud were dragged back under.

Without a second thought, I pulled of my cloak and dove into the lake. As I reached to the middle of the lake, where the hand had been, I looked down. There I saw a woman, barely a girl floating just above the sandy bottom, seaweed wrapped around her legs, arms and torso. I was running out of air, so I swam to the top, grabbed a breath of air, and then dove back down.

I used my dagger and cut the seaweed, freeing her from her bonds. I wrapped my arms around her and swan towards the shimmering surface of the lake. My head broke the surface and I swam to the bank, taking the girl with me. As my feet brushed the bank of the river, I stood, gathering the girl in my arms and walked to the shade of the trees on the bank. I laid her down and checked her breathing. I sighed in relief. Good, she was still alive, just unconscious. I shook her shoulder, to wake her up. At my touch, she started coughing. She rolled to her side and I patted her on her back, to help expel the water in her lungs. After she had finished coughing, she rolled back onto her back and opened her eyes.

Shocked, I could only stare at her. Her eyes were dark blue! I had seen blue eyes before, but they had been blue almost green, never a blue as dark as this! It was like staring into the depths of the ocean itself. There were gold tints in that blue and somehow made the blue seem even darker than it was. I could only stare. Suddenly, those eyes disappeared, she had closed her eyes. Worried, I was just about to shake her awake again, when one of those blue eyes opened again. Her eye shut as quickly as it had opened, and then both her eyes slowly opened. All I could see in her eyes were shock, disbelief and just a little bit of fear.

I looked at her properly. Her hair was dark as the night sky itself, her skin as fair as though the sun had never touched it. Her cheeks were slightly red, as were her lips. She was nothing like the beauties that occupied my harem, but she was enchanting.

She had dirt smeared across one cheek. Her face was sunken in and I could see her cheekbones. Obviously, wherever she was from, her parents had taken proper care of her. Looking down, I saw her clothes were different. Women from Hattusa would never wear clothes like this. They were ripped and had dirt on them.

**Mahia's POV**

I felt myself floating in water, the current making me sway. I opened my eyes and saw that I wasn't in the lake anymore. Yes, I was still in water, but this water was clearer and I could see the sun, its light fractured by the water. The voice had been telling the truth. She had brought me somewhere safe. The water was peaceful, tranquil and I could stay here forever. I raised my hand as though to touch the sun. My hand broke through the surface and into the air above. For a second, I was surprised. I hadn't expected to be so close to the surface.

Suddenly, I felt something float up from the bottom and wrap itself around my raised arm. Something wrapped itself around my legs, stomach and other arm and I felt myself being pulled down roughly. In shock, I opened my mouth and water came rushing into my mouth. It burned a path down my throat and I closed my mouth and eyes. "That's it," I thought, "Death finally came for me."

My body hit the bottom and floated upwards again, but it was stopped by the bonds around me. I reached my hand down and felt sand brush my hand. I heard something in the distance, and a strong current pushed me sideways. I opened my eyes and saw something, a shadow maybe, coming closer to me. I closed my eyes in defeat. It was probably just some kind of hallucination and I was going to die, here at the bottom of some lake, somewhere.

Then, as though a dream, I felt my bonds release me. Arms surrounded me and pulled me up. I felt my head break through the surface of the water and someone pulled me sideways, probably to the bank. His men had caught up to me! I would not give them the victory of seeing fear in my eyes so I kept them closed. They were probably just going to drag me back to that hellhole. Arms lifted me up and the water pulled at my clothes and hair, reluctant to let me go. I felt the heat of the sun on my face for a moment, then the cool of shade. The person placed me down gently and soft grass tickled my face. Hands touched my face and someone placed a finger under my nose. Once they felt my breath, they moved their hands and sighed in relief.

Hands grasped my shoulder gently and they started shaking me. Gently? His men would never treat me gently. I felt the water in my lungs force its way back up my throat and I rolled to my side and started coughing it out. Hands patted me firmly on the back and when I was sure that all the water was gone, I rolled back onto my back. By then I was sure that I hadn't been rescued by his men, I opened my eyes. "No. It couldn't be." I thought. I closed my eyes again quickly and peeked through one eye. It couldn't be but it was. I opened both my eyes. The man from my dreams was staring down at me. The same blond hair, the same brown eyes. But now, those eyes were looking at me in shock and utter awe. His eyes travelled up and down my body and I felt myself blush.

"Are you okay?" He asked me. "Can you speak?" I tried to sit up and he moved to let me. When he realized that I needed help, he placed his hand on my back. I felt a flash of pain and then darkness.

**Zannanaza's POV**

She was looking at me with shock and disbelief. Her blue eyes were wide and I felt like I could see into her soul.

"Are you okay?" I asked her, "Can you speak?" She shifted and I moved back, unaware of what she was trying to do. When I realized that was actually trying to sit up, I placed my hand on her back to help prop her up. I saw pain flash in her eyes and they rolled backwards into her head. Her eyelids closed and her body slumped back into my arms. First, I panicked, but then I realized she had just fainted. I tilted her so she was resting on my forearm and then I looked at my hand that had been resting on her back. It was stained red. With blood.

Quickly, I picked her up, careful of her back. I hurried back towards the palace. She was so light; I could feel her bones through her clothes. I wasn't a doctor and even I knew that she needed help, urgently. Even though I didn't know her, I had to help her. I didn't know why. What I saw it those eyes made me want to help her.

What I didn't know then, was that my decision to help her would change my life forever.

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**So what you guys think? Please review. Sorry not that good at guy pov's. If you guys find any mistakes, please inform me.  
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	4. Chapter 4: Reunion

**I am so so sorry. I was supposed to update on Monday but I couldn't. I will start updating on Saturdays now. The picture of the story is almost ready. Please read and review!  
**

**Disclaimer: Red River/ Anatolia Story does not belong to me.**

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**Chapter 4: Reunion**

Maiha's POV

I woke with a start. I was lying on my stomach on a feather soft bed. I lifted myself up onto my forearms and gazed around me. The bed I was lying on was surrounded by gossamer curtains tied back to the posts. I tried to roll over and pain shot up my back. I realised that I had nothing but a sheet covering me and bandages on my back, arms and legs.

"No, don't move." A voice spoke to me firmly. "You'll hurt yourself even more." I identified that the voice was definitely female.

She helped me roll over and sit up. "How do you get like this?" She asked, placing a shawl around my shoulders so it covered my torso completely.

"Water," I croaked.

"Of course, I am sorry I forgot." She placed a cup of water in my hands. I sipped at it, the water moistening my dry throat.

"My name's Hadi by the way." She said, "I'm Lady Yuri Ishtar's handmaid."

"Yuri?" I asked her.

"Yes, Lady Yuri. Prince Kail's concubine." She answered.

A knock sounded at the door. Hadi walked to the door and opened it slightly. Someone spoke and I strained to hear what was being said. I couldn't hear anything but all I could tell was that the voice was male.

"Yes, she's awake." Hadi answered. By she, I think Hadi meant me. The man's voice spoke again.

"Yes, your highness." Hadi opened the door fully and 3 men walked in. All 3 men were tall. That was the first thing I noted about them. The next was that they were all handsome. When I say handsome, I mean _really_ handsome.

2 of them walked in front of the other and I could tell immediately tell that they were in charge. They looked so alike that everyone who looked at them could tell that they were brothers. Hadi bowed to them and pulled up 2 chairs. The brothers sat down but the other man remained standing. Up close, you could tell the differences between them. The one sitting the closest to me was definitely older than his brother. The younger one had shoulder-length hair, and the older one long. Both of them were blond with brown eyes but for some reason, the man with short hair seemed familiar to me. Like I had met him before but I knew by the way they were looking at me that I was a complete stranger to them.

"This is Prince Kail Mursili, 3rd Prince of the Hittie Empire, son of King Suppiliuma I and Queen Hinti." Hadi said. The man closest to me inclined his head.

"Prince Zannanaza Hattusili, 4th Prince of the Hittie Empire, son of King Suppiliuma I." The man with the short head tilted his head to me as well. I noted that Hadi hadn't mentioned his mother's name. I recognised him as the person who had pulled me out of the lake. Maybe that's why he seemed familiar. No, as soon as I thought that my brain rejected that idea. It could be that, I felt like I knew everything about this man, like I had known him for years but I still couldn't figure out why. I knew for a fact I had never met him before but I felt I had/

"And IIIbani, Court Advisor." Hadi Finished. The man standing behind the princes gave me a slight bow but it felt forced.

"Are you comfortable?" Prince Kail asked me. I nodded my head.

"What's your name?" He asked me, "How did you end up in the bottom of a lake, within the palace grounds?"

"My name's-" I was cut off by a commotion at the door. Prince Kail rose to his feet.

"Let me in! I want to see it is!" A female voice yelled. It seemed familiar but I couldn't quite place it. "Let me in!" She screamed again. The doors burst open and a young girl stood in the entrance. She stomped half way across the room with revenge written all over her face then froze.

"Maiha…" she breathed.

"Yuri. YURI!" I replied, too shocked to say anything else. Yuri raced towards the bed and hugged me tightly. I gasped as her hands pressed the bandages to my back. She pulled back immediately and gazed at me. Looking at my face, she settled for just holding my hands.

"Is it you, Maiha?" She asked me.

I nodded, "Of course it's me baka. Who else would it be?"

"Do you know each other?" Prince Kail asked. Yuri nodded her head.

"She's from my world. We've been best friends since we could walk. We were exactly like you and Prince Zannanaza. But what is she doing here though?" She asked.

"We were just about to find that out." He answered.

"What are you doing here?" She asked me. "Do you think its Queen Nakia again?" She asked turning back to Prince Kail again. Before she could say anything else, Prince Zannanaza cut in.

"Don't you think that we should ask your friend about herself first, Lady Yuri?" He said. Before Yuri could open her mouth, he spoke again. "You may know Lady Yuri but we do not. Maybe we might be able to find out why she's here if she tells us what happened to her and how she got to be in this state? After all, you have been away from your world for quite some time as well."

"State that she's in? What did you mean by the state she's in?" Yuri asked him.

"She has multiple whip marks across her back, arms and legs. She also hasn't been fed properly for quite a well." Hadi answered. Yuri turned to me, shocked,

"Who did this to you? The Maiha I know would never let herself get like this and my parents would have made sure that you were okay even though I went missing."

"Let's start from the beginning shall we?" Prince Kail asked. "What is your name?"

"My name's Maiha Kuran." I answered, "I'm 15 and I'm from Tokyo. Where am I anyway?"

Finally IIIbani spoke, "You are currently in the royal palace."

"Royal palace, what do you mean royal palace? Royal palace where?" I asked, panicking slightly, okay more than just slightly.

"The royal palace of Hattusa, the capital of the Hittie Empire, under the rule of the tabanna, King Suppiliuma I and the Tawananna, Queen Nakia." IIIbani answered

"The Hittie Empire, Tabanna, Tawananna. Oh my god! I'm in the Anatolian period!" I panicked. I have just travelled a very long way back in time.

"I couldn't believe it at first as well, at least you had a better welcome then I did." She sighed

"The hands!" I exclaimed, "They brought you here didn't they? Himuro freaked when he realized that he had lost you. It was actually pretty funny for the first hour." I said

"May I ask, what hands and who's Himuro?" Prince Zannanaza asked.

"Himuro is Yuri's boyfriend. Wait, I heard that you became a concubine. What is that all about anyway Yuri?" I asked.

"What's a boyfriend?" Prince Zannanaza asked.

"Um…well" Yuri was saved by a knock on the door.

"It must be the doctor, I'll get the door." She said, jumping up. Hadi had already opened the door and an old man with a young girl walked in. The man and girl bowed to the Princes, IIIbani and Yuri.

"I'm sorry your Highnesses but you are going to have to leave. The patient needs rest and I'm sure that whatever you want to ask her can wait."

"Yes, of course Doctor." Prince Kail, Prince Zannanaza, IIIbani and Yuri left. I was going to have a good talk with Yuri later.

"My lady, since you are now awake, may I ask your name?" The doctor asked.

"Sure, my name's Maiha and please don't add any formalities to it. Maiha's fine." I said.

"Yes, Maiha." He said laughing, "Now, are you in any pain or anything?"

"No, no pain."

"Drink this, it will make you sleep for a while so your body can rest and recover." He handed me a cup with some kind of sweet-smelling liquid inside. I drank it and after a few moments I started feeling sleepy. I handed Hadi the cup and lay down. The doctor started changing my bandages and talking to his assistant and Hadi. I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

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**Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5: Making Friends

**So sorry I couldn't post last week. So I'm posting 2 chapters next week. Please read note at the bottom!**

**Disclaimer: Red River/Anatolia Story does not belong to me.**

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**Chapter 5: Making Friends**

Maiha's POV

I woke to the sound of the door slamming close. I heard whispering and footsteps approached the bed.

"My lady," Hadi spoke, "Please wake up, the Princes would like to speak to you now."

I sat up and looked at her, "Fine, but can you help me? I'm not sure that I can manage by myself."

"Of course my lady, the bath is behind those doors. I will be there to help you in a minute." I wrapped the sheet around myself and slid off the bed. I walked towards the doors barefooted, the sheet dragging over the marble floors. I opened the doors and turned around. "By the way Hadi, don't call me my lady. The name's Maiha." Hadi smiled and I closed the door.

I turned and gasped. This was a bathroom?! It was more like a bath house! The bath itself was in the centre of the room with step leading down to it from one side and a ledge to sit on at the other side. It was like my own personal pool. It was filled with hot water, the steam rising off the surface of the water. Next to the bath/pool, was a table filled with bottles and jars. I walked over, and picked up a bottle. I pulled the lid off and smelled roses. I capped it and placed it back on the table. I looked around. There was a couch on the other side of the pool. It was long and had a cloth placed over it. A table was placed next to in but it was empty.

The door opened and I turned. It was Hadi, her arms full of cloth and jewellery. She walked over to the table next to the chair and placed the things on it. Turning to me with her hands on her hips, "You haven't gone in the bath yet! Come on hurry up, we don't want the water getting cold."

"The bath? Oh um, yeah. I wasn't sure if the water would affect the bandages. "

"Come here, I'll take them off." I walked to her and sat on the couch. I dropped the sheet so she could get the bandages on my back. She peeled them off and gasped.

"Why? What happened?" I tried turning around but she pushed me back.

"What happened to your back? Why do you have so many scars?"

"The scars? Um….I tell you later." I pulled the bandages off my arms.

I walked to the side of the pool and dropped the bed sheet. I heard Hadi gasp again as I walked down the steps of the pool, the water caressing my skin. She walked over to the table with the bottles and sat down at the side of the pool. "Tell me now."

"Fine," I swam over and sat up the ledge, "I have the ability to heal."

"What do you mean?"

"Ever since I was born, I could heal people. If the injuries are minor or not life-threating I can heal it on the person, but if it was very serious, I can transfer them to myself."

"But why would you do that?"

"Somebody else's wounds would heal faster on me but because of that, my own wounds don't heal as fast as a normal person's would." I explained

"How? How would you heal someone?" Hadi asked me.

"Okay. Don't freak okay."

"Freak?"

"It means, never mind. Back to your question. I can heal people using water. I've been doing it for years, hence the scars. Yuri knows about it too."

"Can you show me?"

"Sure, give me something sharp and hold out your hand." She handed me a knife and held out her palm.

"This might hurt." I warned her, I slashed her palm and lifted my hand. Water rose from the pool and wrapped around her hand. She watched in wonder as the water flashed bright blue then lost its shape and fell back into the pool.

"It's healed!" Hadi turned her hand in wonder as though looking for the cut to reappear on her skin.

"Yeah, it's healed" I smiled.

"You know your eyes glowed the same colour as the water." She told me.

"Yes, Yuri's told me before too. Hey, aren't I getting late?" I asked her. She jumped up

"Yes, you are. Come we must get up dressed." I swam over to the steps and Hadi wrapped a towel around me.

I dried myself off, taking care of my wounds. Hadi pushed me down and smeared a thick pollution on my wounds before applying bandages again. She handed me a short dress and I pulled it over my head. It was sleeveless and went just passed my knees.

Hadi rubbed some kind of oil through my hair and braided it.

"You have lovely hair." She complemented me.

"Thanks Hadi." I smile at her.

She placed some bangles on wrists and a head band in my hair,

"Wait, Hadi. Where's my necklace?" I turned to her.

"Necklace? Oh you mean the necklace you were wearing when Prince Zannanaza brought you here?" I nodded. Hadi turned around and left the room. I stood and straightened out my dress. It was thin and light, and perfect for the weather here, but it was quite low cut. Good thing my bandages provided some decency, especially at the neckline.

Hadi entered the room. Gold glinted in her hands. "My necklace!" I hurried towards her had held out my hands. She placed it in my hands and I held it up for inspection. Good, it was still in pristine condition. It was a pendant on a gold chain. The sunlight filtering through the room made the gems on the pendant to glint and sparkle. The rubies glowed as though fire lived inside them and the diamonds reflected the light, dazzling my eyes. I clasped it around my neck, its long chain allowing the pendant to be hidden under my neckline. As I felt the comforting weight of it rest on my chest, I sighed in relief, reaching a hand to touch it through the cloth of my dress. Hadi laughed at my reaction.

"That necklace must be very important to you." I nodded

"It was given to me by my mother before she passed away. She said that it was given to her by her mother and so on." I explained. "It's the only thing I have left from her."

"Well it's very beautiful." Hadi said, "But it seems familiar somehow. Never mind, let's go." She led me out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. We must through the bedroom doors and down the hall, and we stopped outside large double doors. "The Princes are waiting inside."

"Okay." It was time to face the music.

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**So what you guys think? I felt like Hadi wasn't appreciated enough in Red River so she is going to play a big role in Flower and Sword. Please review!**

**P.S: Please inform me if you guys see any mistakes or grammatical errors and I'll fix them. Thanks!**

**P.P.S: I will be starting a new Red River Fanfic about Ramses but tell me if you guys want it sooner or later!**


	6. Chapter 6: Interrogation

**Disclaimer: Red River/Anatolia Story does not belong to me.**

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**Chapter 6: Interrogation**

Maiha's POV

I took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

"Come in." A voice called. The doors opened and I walked in. Prince Zannanza, Prince Kail, lllbani and Yuri were already inside. Yuri and Prince Kail were sitting next each other, IIIbani was standing behind them and Prince Zannanza was sitting opposite them. He gestured for me to sit next to him so I did. I didn't know why, but I knew that I was safe with him and he wouldn't hurt me. I pinned it down to the fact that he saved my life, but deep inside I knew that that wasn't the reason.

"How are you now?" He asked me.

"Much better now, thank you." I answered, giving him a small smile.

"If you are well now, we would like to ask you a few questions if that is okay." Prince Kail asked.

"Yes, of course. I was expecting this.' I tilted my head to him.

"How did you come to appear in the lake?" He asked me.

"I was in the middle of a lake back in my time, when a voice spoke to me. It said that I was needed somewhere else and then something pulled me under. Next thing I know, I was at the bottom of a completely different lake with someone swimming towards me. On that note, Prince Zannanza," I turned to him, "I would like to thank you for saving me." I bowed my head to him.

"Do not worry about it." He laughed, "Instead, I should be thanking you for giving me such an adventure." He winked at me.

"May I ask why you were in the middle of a lake?" IIIbani asked me.

"I was being chased." My expression darkened.

"By who?" Yuri asked

"Someone, I pretty sure you would be familiar with Yuri."

"Keep on going…"Yuri gestured for me to continue.

"Shuri." There was a second of silence with the Princes looking at one another in confusion.

"Who is this Shu-" Prince Zannanza was cut off by Yuri.

"Shuri! How dare he! That bastard!" Yuri jumped up and started pacing that room. "Even after you got a warrant against him, he's still after you!"

"A lot has happened since you left Yuri." My comment fell on deaf ears.

"Yuri…" Prince Kail tried to calm her down but it wasn't any use.

"I wouldn't try, Your Highness. Just give her a few minutes, she calm down soon enough." He looked at me doubtfully. "Don't worry, trust me. We've known each other since we were born." I explained.

After a few minutes Yuri came and sat back down.

"Thank you Yuri, now may I continue the questioning or do you want to have another outburst." Prince Kail teased her. I smirked, knowing that it would only make her angrier. His only reply was a glare,

"You wouldn't be this calm if you knew what he did to her." Yuri pointed at me. "That's why she had to get a warrant." All eyes turned to me and I shifted uncomfortably in my seat.

"Okay, can someone explain to me what a warrant is?" Prince Zannanza asked. "And who this Shuri is?"

"Shuri is the vilest, most disgusting thing that ever crawled through the dirt. He should go and take a very long walk off a very short cliff." Yuri spat venomously. Prince Kail and Prince Zannanza look at he shocked. IIIbani as usual kept a straight face.

"Um…. As you see Yuri doesn't like him that much." I laughed nervously.

"Don't like him that much!" Yuri jumped up, "He's a-"

"Yuri, sit down." I told her firmly

"But….."

"Sit down." The Princes looked at us in amusement. "Anyway, a warrant is where you go to court and if you can provide a legitimate reason to why a certain person shouldn't be around you, the court will provide you with a warrant against that person. If that person breaks the warrant, such as, contacting you or meeting you, the person gets fined or put in jail." I explained.

"And may I ask why you have a warrant against this person."

"Well he was my boyfriend for about a month, and he started getting really violent. I was worried about myself so I broke it off. After that he started stalking me and I had to get a warrant."

"He did much worse than that!" Yuri exclaimed, "He-" She cut off at a look from me.

"Well there's nothing we can do about it now. Anyway if you guys are done, can I have a look around?" I asked.

"Yes, we are done. Yuri can show you around." Yuri jumped up and grabbed my arm.

"I have so much to show you and talk to you about!"

I smirked at Prince Kail, knowing he wanted us gone. "Thank you Your Highness" I bowed to him and let Yuri lead me out of the room.

"Why didn't you want to tell them everything?" Yuri asked me. I laughed as though she had said something funny.

"Because it wasn't necessary for them to know everything."

Zannanza's POV

I watched them walk away, Maiha laughing at something Lady Yuri had said. After all that had happened to her, she could still laugh. It was amazing. I shook my head, tuning into what IIIbani and my brother were saying.

"But you majesty, is it safe to house her here? After all, we already have enough problems with Lady Yuri and considering this girl is a friend of hers, she may as well be the same."

"No more questions about this IIIbani, we will house her here and take care of her." My brother turned to me, "What do you think about this girl, Zannanza?" Kail asked me.

"I think that she is a very brave girl and that she could be a lot of use to us, and although she may be more civilised than Lady Yuri but I have a feeling that she will be much more stubborn that Lady Yuri ever will be." I answered him.

"Use to us, as Yuri is?" He asked me.

"Yes, like Lady Yuri. And if she shows us her support, the people are more likely to be on our side and the Senate as well."

"Interesting idea Zannanza. How about you take her out into the city later and see how she reacts to the people and see if your idea will work." Kail offered.

"I will, but for some reason I have a feeling that Lady Yuri will reject the idea."

"No, not happening. Absolutely not," Yuri said, "No way am I going to let her go by herself into the city, especially since she's still recovering."

"Lady Yuri, I will be with her. She will not be going alone." I insisted. Looking at her face, I knew that I had just made things worse.

"All the more reasons not to let her go, I am well aware of your reputation Prince Zannanza. Forgive me, but I'm sure you would understand that I am not willing to let my best friend travel alone with the second biggest playboy in the empire." She said.

"You doubt my intentions," I said pretending to be hurt. "I would never lay a hand on an injured woman, no matter how beautiful." My only response was a glare.

"What if you and I travel with them Yuri?" Kail offered, "Will you let her go then?"

Yuri wavered than give in. "Fine, but if anything happens to her it will be on your head." She warned. "Can we ride? Maiha is still too injured to walk long distances." She asked.

"Of course, but can she ride?" I asked.

"Wait and see for yourself." Yuri said with a twinkle in her eye. Kail and I looked at each other and I knew that we were both thinking the same thing. What had we just gotten ourselves into?

Maiha's POV

After lunch or the midday meal as they called it, we went out into the gardens where Yuri and I were before. By we, I mean Prince Zannanza, Prince Kail, Yuri and I.

"We're going to see the city." Yuri said brightly, too brightly. I immediately became suspicious. Yuri was always up to something whenever she used that tone.

"What are you planning Yuri?" I asked her, my eyes narrowing, "You're up to something aren't you?"

"Me? I'm not up to anything." Yuri said smiling at me.

"Sure you're not." I said, "Like the time you said you weren't up to anything and I ended up locked in a cupboard with Kyo." She at least had the shame to look embarrassed.

"That wasn't my idea, it was Seira's." She tried to explain.

"Yeah, right."

"So shall we head to the stables?" Prince Zannanza said, smirking at me in amusement.

"You guys have stables here?" I said, immediately excited. I hadn't ridden in so long. I couldn't wait to again.

"Well of course," Prince Kail said, "What kind of palace would this be without at least one stable."

I rolled my eyes, "Well thanks for making me feel dumb." I muttered.

"What did you say?" Prince Zannanza asked me, pretending to tilt his head towards me.

"Nothing, let's head down towards the stables." I said. He just smirked at me and I knew that he had heard me.

I was going to have a lot of trouble with this Prince wasn't I? But it was only until later on, I realised how much trouble I was going to have with him.

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**Please review!**

**P.S: Please inform me if you guys see any mistakes or grammatical errors and I'll fix them. Thanks!**


	7. Chapter 7: Sahiba

**I am so so sorry. I haven't updated for a long time. I'll try to update on a regular basis but no promises. Enjoy the chapter and please review.**

**Disclaimer: Red River/Anatolia Story does not belong to me. :( Maiha and any OCs create along the way are mine.**

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**Chapter 7: Sahiba**

Maiha's POV

As we headed down towards the stables, I smelt something as familiar to me as my own scent, hay and horses! For a second it felt like I was back at home before any of this happened.

"Do you know how to ride or would you like to ride with me?" Prince Zannanza asked me. Yuri and I looked at each other and laughed.

"I think I can manage." I said. "Hey, can I go pick my own horse?" He glanced at his brother and they shared a look.

"I don't see how that would be a problem." He said turning back to me.

I grinned at him and ran towards the stables. I entered the stables and gasped. They were beautiful! Similar to the ones in my and Yuri's era but a bit cruder. They were made entirely out of wood but were obviously taken care of very well. Passing the horses, I whistled to them. Walking towards the back of the stables, I saw a lone mare. She had a beautiful black mare and a dark brown, almost burgundy coat with no markings. Why had she been left alone like this? As I walked closer she caught sight of me. She threw her head up and neighed, her ears flat against her head, warning me off. I froze, not wanting her to hurt herself. As soon as I stopped, she ran towards the back of stall and started pacing. Then it popped it my head, she was just scared me. My mum had taught me to handle horses like this. I whistled, loud and clear. She froze, her ears pricked up. I took a few steps and she started acting up again. Once again, I stopped and whistled. She froze again. I took another step and she didn't move. Another step and she tossed her head. Another step and her ears went back.

"Hey girl, what's your name?" I asked her. Her ears swivelled forward. I caught sight of a name etched into the stable door, _Sahiba_. I took a step forward, still talking to her.

"Hey girl, so your name's Sahib. Don't worry; I'm not going to hurt you." She tossed her head and glared at me. I started humming. She took a step forward.

"That's it Sahiba, I won't hurt you." I held up my hand, palm up, showing her that I wasn't holding anything. She walked to the front of the stall and stuck her head out. I walked to her and held my hand out again. She shed back but then stepped forward again. She sniffed my hand and then stuck her nose under it. I flipped my hand over, stroking her nose. She bumped my hand and I laughed.

"Come on girl, ready to ride?" I asked her. She bumped my hand again and I smiled.

"I'll take that as a yes." I undid the hook on the stable door and swung the door open. She stepped out and looked at me. Grabbing her mane, I lead out.

"Come on girl. Let's show them what we can do." She neighed, throwing her head back.

I walked towards Yuri and the others with Sahiba. They were already on their horses, waiting for me. Prince Zannanza slid off his horse and led him to me.

"Your horse is beautiful." I told him, stroking his horse's mane. He tossed his head and nuzzled my hair. I laughed and tapped his muzzle. "Don't be naughty." I told him. He only neighed in response.

"He usually doesn't like others." Prince Zannanza told me, his eyes watching me like a hawk. Yuri came up behind us.

"She has a gift with horses." She explained to me. He nodded to her but still watched me. I shifted uncomfortably, his gaze weighing on my shoulders like a heavy burden. Noting my discomfit, he smirked at me. A young man approached us.

"Your Highnesses, Lady Maiha." He bowed to us. I waved him off.

"Please call me Maiha." I asked him. He only nodded. Prince Kail stepped forward.

"This is Kash; he'll help you with your horse." He told me. Kash looked at Sahiba and paled.

"My lady-"

"Maiha." He nodded

"Maiha, are you sure that you want to ride her." He indicated to Sahiba.

"Yes, I would. Can you bring me her tack?"

"But-"

"Kash, bring this horse's tack." Prince Kail told him. He only looked at me and left. I felt someone watching me and turned. It was Prince Zannanza.

"What is there something on my face?" I asked him. He only smirked and shook his head. Kash walked towards us with his hands full of leather. At the sight of the tack, Sahiba started acting up again.

"Whoa girl, calm down." She pulled her head free from my grasp and reared up. Everyone moved back but I planted my feet on the ground and refused to move. Kash came forward with a whip.

"Stop!" He froze. "What do you intend to do with that whip?" I asked him. "And I would watch how you answer that question." I told him, my voice holding a sharp edge. He blanched.

"Nothing, my lady." I raised an eyebrow.

"Maiha, nothing Maiha."

"Good." I turned back to Sahiba. She was still acting up, not letting anyone come close to her. I stepped in front of her and whistled. She froze. "Now that you're listening," I told her, "Stop acting up. If you don't want the tack, we won't use it." She hung her head. "Good," I told her. I turned around, and everyone was staring at me.  
"What?" I asked them. Yuri shook her head.

"I had forgotten how good you were with them." She smiled. I turned to Kash,

"Can you get me a mounting block?" He stared at me.

"A …..mounting block?"

"Never mind, you guys probably don't have them here anyway." I placed my hand and Sahiba's mane.

"How are you going to ride her?" Prince Zannanza asked me.

"Bareback." I told him. I tapped above Sahiba's knee with my foot and she knelt. Using her mane, I climbed on her back and tapped her again with my feet. She rose to her full height. I looked at the others,

"What are we waiting for?" Prince Zannanza just shook his head and swung up back onto his horse. Prince Kail and Yuri followed suit. As we left the stables we fell into pairs, Prince Zannanza and I in front, Prince Kail and Yuri behind.

"So how long have you been riding for?" He asked me.

"I've been riding ever since I could walk. My mother taught me. She herself was a great horsewoman." I smiled, memories washing over me, me on a horse with my mother leading it, my first horse show.

"Your mother must be a great woman." A voice broke through my thoughts.

"What?" I asked him confused.

"I said your mother must be a great woman." He shook his head mockingly, "I myself greatly admire a woman who can ride well."

"Dream on, sweetheart." I smirked at him.

"Excuse me?"

"Never mind."

"Very well, tell me about your mother. By the way you speak about her, she must be greatly admired in your kingdom."

"Was."

"Excuse me?"

"Was, my mother and father passed away a long time ago."

"I am truly sorry; I did not intend to bring back bad memories." And to his credit, he did actually look sorry. Maybe he isn't as bad as I thought. "It's okay. Anyway, where are we?" I asked him.

"We are in the centre of Hattusa. See that is the palace." He turned and pointed to a great, big building rising up behind us.

"Wow, I didn't realise we had travelled so far." He nodded. Suddenly I felt a pain in my stomach. I slumped over Sahiba's neck, clutching my midriff.

"Are you okay?" Prince Zannanza leaned over. Yuri rode up beside me.

"Maiha, are you okay?"

"Hurt…" I gasped.

"What? Where?" Yuri asked.

"What are you talking about? There's no one hurt." Prince Zannanza told me, confusion lining his face.

"Not here…somewhere else." I gasped, the pain cutting through my stomach. I knew the person was hurt bad, really bad. As suddenly as the pain came, it started to fade.

"No!" I cried. The person was dying, I had to save him. I urged Sahiba forward. "Go Sahiba, go!" She leapt forward, running as hard as she could. For some reason I knew she would bring me to where I needed to go. It was like we had some kind of connection.

"Follow her!" I heard Yuri yell. I didn't bother looking behind me to see if they were coming. I couldn't. Someone needed my help. Hoof beats raced behind me and I tapped Sahiba's side. She understood, stretching out her legs and running even faster. I prayed that we would get there in time.

Time…..Well I guess you could call it a race against time.

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**Finally...some action. I'll try to have the next chapter up by tomorrow. Please review! Tell me of any grammatical errors and spelling mistakes and I'll fix them.**

**P.S**

**I have decided to create the Ramses's story as a sequel. I've started writing it but I won't start posting it yet. **

**(Hint: Pay special attention to any unknown name's mentioned in Flower and Sword. That person may be part of the sequel. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge.)**


	8. Chapter 8: Attacked

**Thanks for the reviews on the previous chapter even though you guys had to wait for a long time. **

**Disclaimer: Red River/Anatolia Story does not belong to me though Maiha, any other OCs and extra plot lines created along the way are mine.**

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**Chapter 8: Attacked**

Maiha's POV

As Sahiba raced past houses, markets, people, I slowly felt the person's life slipping away. I bent over and whispered in her ears, "A bit more Sahiba, a bit more." She stretched out her legs and if it was even possible, she ran faster. I buried my face in her mane, the wind whipping tears into my eyes. Suddenly she stopped, almost throwing me off. I lifted my head and looked around. In front of me there was a tall cliff. Underneath there was a well and there! Under a massive tree, lay a young boy. I slid off Sahiba and walked towards the tree. I heard the other horses stop behind me. The Princes and Yuri slid off their horses and walked towards me.

"Stop!" I called out, "Don't come any closer." They froze.

"What are you doing?" Prince Zannanza asked me.

"My job." I knelt beside the boy. Good, he was still breathing. "What's your name?" I asked him. He opened his eyes and stared at me. "Did you fall off the cliff?" He nodded.

"Yuri!" I called.

"I know what to do." She answered. She turned to the Princes, "Stay here."

"What is she going to do?" Prince Kail asked her.

"Save him."

"Will both of you be quiet!" I yelled. "I need to concentrate." I turned back to the boy, "Stay still for me, okay?" He looked at me.

"I'm going to die aren't I?" He asked me.

"No, you're not. You're going to just fine." I told him sternly. I look around for a source of water. The well! I ran over to it. The water wasn't the best quality but it would have to do. I would have to remember to come back and cleanse it late. I hauled up a bucket and dipped my hands in. I ran back to the boy and placed my hands on his torso. I needed to know what his injuries were before I healed him. I closed my eyes and his torso warmed under my hands. The water glowed and then dissipated. He had multiple broken ribs, a shattered thigh bone, a dislocated shoulder and his right arm was completely shattered. I couldn't risk moving him so I had to heal him here. I looked at the well and raised my arms. The water rose like it did before and spiralled towards me.

"What are you-" Prince Kail started but Yuri shushed him.

"Let her concentrate." The water wrapped around the boy and I stepped back. The boy rose into the air along with my arms. It flashed blue and tightened around the boy. He cried out in pain and I heard a sword leave its scabbard. I turned around and Prince Kail came rushing towards me. Yuri stepped in front of him, halting his approach.

"Don't! You can't hurt her! She's helping him." Yuri yelled.

"No, she's not. She's killing him. This is one of Queen Nakia's ploys. Don't fall for it Yuri, she's not really your friend." Prince Kail said, trying to get past her. Yuri mimicked his motions, not letting him past. The boy behind me screamed again.

"Don't worry brother, I'll take this witch on." Prince Zannanza told him, drawing his sword. His words hit me like a punch in my stomach. I frowned, not knowing why his words and such an effect on me. That second costed me. I heard the wind whistle as the sword slicing through the air. I ducked, the sword cutting me just below my eye. I dodged the next blow.

"Stop. Listen to me." I pleaded with him. The water behind me faltered and I renewed my efforts. I had to save the boy. "I'm not working with Queen Nakia, whoever she is."

"You wield water, you must be working with Queen Nakia." Prince Zannanza spat, his blade slicing my arm open. A little more, I told myself. Just a little more. The process was almost complete. I had to keep him distracted a little more. I glanced past his shoulder and saw that Yuri was still trying to hold Prince Kail off.

"You have no proof! You can't just accuse me or try to kill me!" I yelled at him.

"Proof? You're hurting the boy. I don't need any more proof." He lunged at me again. I spun, the sword missing me by millimetres.

"I'm not hurting him! I'm trying to help him by-" I was cut off.

"Help? People like you are only want to help yourselves." He spat. Behind me the boy screamed again and then dropped to the ground. The transferring process was finished. I crumpled to the ground, the pain crushing me. I raised my hands and thrust them out towards Prince Zannanza. The water followed my actions and exploded in front of Prince Zannanza's face, temporarily blinding him. I leapt up and ran towards Sahiba, throwing myself over her back. "GO SAHIBA! GO!" She jumped forward and ran, the movements jolting my broken ribs. Pain shot through me as she raced back to the palace. Hadi would help me and hopefully Yuri would be able to explain it to the Princes but right now I needed to rest so I could heal. I would face the consequences later.

Yuri's POV

I watched Sahiba race off with Maiha on her back. I knew that Maiha had transferred the boy's injuries to her. But why? I needed to go back and see if she was okay.

"Brother!" Prince Zannanza called out. Prince Kail pushed past me and walked towards Prince Zannanza and the boy. I turned and saw that Prince Zannanza was kneeling beside the boy. I ran towards them.

"The boy's dead." Prince Zannanza informed his brother.

"Come, we must find his family and let them give him a proper burial." Prince Kail knelt and closed the boy's eyes.

"We must also hunt down that witch." Prince Zannanza spat. "I should have left her in the lake." I gasped.

"No, you can't! She's not a witch. And she is definitely not working for Nakia." I told them.

"Yuri listen to me it was just Queen Nakia's ploy, that girl is not your friend."

"You think I wouldn't know my own friend!" I yelled at him.

"Lady Yuri-" Prince Zannanza started.

"No! She is not working for Queen Nakia!"  
"Yuri listen to me." Prince Kail grasped my chin, forcing me to look at him. "That was not your friend, she was just-" Coughing cut him off. We turned to the boy. He was struggling to sit up. The Princes were just staring at him.

"But….but…." Prince Zannanza started.

"The Goddess, where is the goddess?" The boy asked. Prince Kail regained his composure.

"Run along now boy." The boy just looked at him and ran off.

"See I told she wasn't hurting him." I told them. They just stared at me.

"You and that girl have some explaining to do." Prince Kail told me.

"Me? Explaining? Oh, no. First you guys have to apologize to her for attacking her while she was-Oh no!" I jumped up. "We have to get back to the palace now!" I ran for Aslan and climbed onto him. I turned around and the Princes were still standing there. "Come on!" They climbed onto their horses at my yell.

"What's going on?" Prince Zannanza asked me as we reached the palace stables. We handed our horses to the stable hands and made our way to Maiha's room.

"I'll explain later. Right now I have to-" I was cut off by Ryui and Shala running to us.

"Princess Yuri, Lady Maiha is, she's-" They were cut off by a scream.

"I knew it!" I exclaimed. I started running to Maiha's room. Hadi was waiting for us outside her room. By look on Hadi's face I knew it wasn't good. Another scream cut through the air.

Hadi's POV

Another scream came from Maiha's room and I looked at Lady Yuri.

"What do you want us to do?" I asked her. She straightened and started giving us orders.

"Ryui, get me some cold water and some warm. Oh, don't forget to get some drinking water too." My sister nodded and left. Lady Yuri then turned to Shala, "Go get some clean cloths, ones that can be used as bandages." Shala nodded and left like her twin. "Hadi, wait here for the twins then knock on the door." I nodded and she entered Maiha's room. I waited for my sisters and when they arrived I knocked on the door. By then quite a crowd had collected, IIIbani, Kash, Rusafa and Kikkuri.

"What happened?" Kash asked me. I shook my head and knocked on the door again.

"Lady Yuri!" I called. The door creaked open. Lady Yuri stepped with blood adorning her dress. A gasp sounded behind me.

"What-" IIIbani was cut off by Lady Yuri.

"Ryui, Shala go put the things inside then come out. Make sure no one enters. Hadi, wait for your sisters to come out then come in and help me." She turned around and re-entered the room. Ryui and Shala followed her.

"What's going on?" This time it was Prince Zannanza asked me. I just shook my head.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness, I myself am not entirely sure." The door behind me opened and Ryui and Shala stepped.

"Lady Yuri wants you." I nodded and stepped in.

"How is she?" I asked Lady Yuri.

"Not good, and with the medicine here, I don't know." She sighed looking utterly defeated.

"The others are asking what is going on." I told her. A knock sounded at the door again.

"What do you want me to tell them?" I asked her. She just shrugged.

"I don't know." I nodded and opened the door. It was Shala with more bandages.

"Thank you." I told her. Before I could close the door Ryui asked me.

"What else can we do for her sister?" Shala nodded and the others just looked at them.

"For who?" Kikkuri asked them. The three of us just ignored him.

"Pray." I told them. "Just pray." Ryui and Shala nodded while the others just looked on, now concerned. I closed the door behind me.

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**Another cliff hanger... Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Please don't forget to review and let me know of any mistakes. **


	9. Chapter 9: The Dream

**Here's the next chapter! Please read and review!**

**Disclaimer: Red River does not belong to me but any OCs and extra plot lines created along the way DO belong to me.**

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**Chapter 9: The Dream**

Maiha's POV

My body ached all over. I drifted in and out of consciousness throughout the healing phase, catching glimpses of Yuri's and Hadi's faces. The days and nights merged into a world of numbing pain and darkness. I could hear the voices around me and felt a damp cloth being pressed to my forehead. As the voices became louder and I could slowly start to feel my limbs again, I knew the process was almost over. Then I dreamt

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A world of black and white awaited me. I blinked my eyes and slowly things came into focus. I was in a forest, the trees blooming white flowers. There was a path laid out for me, lined with glowing flowers. I followed the path to the edge of a lake, the moon reflected in its shimmering waters. A lady in white floated in mid-air above the lake, her feet centimetres from the water. Her hair was silver in the moon but I knew that it would glow gold as the sun itself in the daylight. Her face was pale like the moon that hung behind her. And from memory I knew that her eyes were the same colour as mine.

"Mother." I breathed. She smiled and nodded. I knew from the ache in my heart that it was my mother but my mind was telling me that it wasn't. She looked like my mother but she held an air of authority and mystery around her. She looked like …a goddess.

"My daughter," Her voice was familiar, yet it wasn't. It sounded the same from my memories but the accent was different, and it was more regal. "You have finally returned home…..to the place you belong."

"But Mom, I belong in Tokyo, in the 20th Century."

"No darling, this is where you belong. You are needed here, you're wanted here." The words seemed familiar.

"You were at the lake." The realization hit me like a slap in the face. "You brought me here."

"Yes, I did." She waved her hand and the landscape around us shifted. We were at a beach, the sand soft between my toes, the waves gently lapping at the edge of the beach. My mother turned to me, holding it out her hand. I grasped it and we walked to the edge of the water and sat, the waves just millimetres from our feet. I looked down, just noticing what I was wearing. It was a long flowing dress, white like my mother's, but with gossamer sleeves and ribbons. I reached up and felt my hair. It too was tied back with ribbons and in intricate braids. I dropped my hand back to my lap and turned to my mother.

"You have some explaining to do." I told her sternly. She threw back her head and laughed.

"You haven't changed at all."

"Mom…" I warned.

"Okay, okay. Let's start from the beginning shall we?"

"Well, duh." I rolled my eyes.

"Have you ever heard of Babylon?"

"It's an ancient civilization isn't it? Though it wouldn't really be ancient in these times right?"

"Yes, you're right. Babylon still exists in this time, but not as a country of its own anymore. It's now part of the Hittie Empire. It was a beautiful place once, a city of life and colour in the middle of a desert. People came for miles to see it." Her expression changed from angry to wistful as she spoke.

"You're talking like you've been there."

"I have, Maiha. In fact, I grew up there before the Hitties invaded." She informed me.

"But, but, that's not possible. You were from Tokyo, weren't you?" I became doubtful at the look on my mother's face.

"No, I didn't come from your father's time. As you travelled to this world, I travelled to your father's. Anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me start from the beginning." I could only nod, shocked by my mother's revelation. "I was royalty in my home, Babylon. I was Natanya, the eldest princess, the oldest child of the King and Queen. I had a younger brother, and 2 younger sisters, Nakia and Nadia."

"Nakia? As in Queen Nakia, Tawananna of the Hittie Empire?" My mother nodded sadly. "Sorry, keeping on going."

"Since I was the eldest, I was the most popular. My parents thought they would never have children so when I came along; well… everyone was surprised. My name means Gift from God, did you know that?" I shook my head.

"I loved my people, my family and they loved me back. Since everyone considered me God's gift, most of the attention was always on me. Because of that, my younger siblings were slightly neglected, I'm ashamed to say. I had powers like yours too, so that didn't really help things. But I always tried to make up for it, spending most of my time with them, helping them when they needed it. Alas, it wasn't enough; the damage had already been done."

"What do you mean Mom? The damage had already been done?" I asked her, clasping her hand.

"My sister Nakia, well as you must have heard from Yuri, has powers too, but they weren't as powerful as mine, so because of that, she was always pressured by our parents to be like me. Eventually, she came to hate me."

"Hate you? But Mom, it wasn't your fault!"

"Can I get back to my story now?" I nodded. "Wait! What happened to your other siblings?"

"After Babylon fell, Nakia was sent to the Hittie King as a concubine, Nadia to the Crown Prince of the Mitanni, and my brother became king after my father's passing and ruled under the Hittie King."

"Is your sister still with the Mitanni?" I asked her.

"Yes, now let me get back to the story. As Nakia grew older, she came to hate me, even up to the point that she tried to kill me."

"Kill you?! But you were her sister." I was shocked.

"No, to her I was only an obstacle. My brother was weak and she knew that he would be easy to manipulate. My father's health was failing and my mother had already passed. She knew that the only person who could stop her was me. After that attempt, I knew that I wasn't safe anymore and that I had to leave before anyone got hurt. After the Hitties invaded, I faked my death and fled. But before I did, I buried my jewels near a lake in the palace. The only thing I took was the necklace you're wearing now." I pulled the necklace from under my dress and gazed at it.

"So this is the royal seal of Babylon." Mom nodded.

"I used the lake to travel to your father's time. I made a life for myself, working at the aquarium. That's where I met your father."

"Did you ever want to come back?" She nodded.

"I wanted to come back. To show you and your father where I grew up. But I knew that I couldn't. I kept an eye on my family so that's how I found out what had happened. When you were born, I was content with the life I had. Once you turned 2, I realised that you had inherited my powers. First I was scared, but then on your third birthday I had my last vision. It showed me that you would one day come back and take your place as a Princess of Babylon."

"That's why you trained me, made sure I knew everything about my abilities."

"Yes, but not everything. Your powers come from mine as you are my daughter, but they might be different."

"Different how?" I asked warily. I didn't want to suddenly sprout a mermaid tail.

"Different as in they are made to suit you, you personality."

"Thank God." I sighed in relief.

"When your father and I died, we still watched over you. It hurt me to see you grow up all alone, not being able to do anything to help. To see you being taken away by that boy."

The look on her face broke my heart.

"It's okay Mom, it's over now."

"You know, your father and I are really proud of you. Going through all that by yourself." She gripped my hand tighter."

"Mom, I said-"

"I know, I know. Anyway, when you came to the lake, I knew that it was time that you came back home. This is your true home Maiha. You were always meant to be here. To fall in love, to have children to grow old _here_. Remember that, sweetheart. Now I must go, my time is running out." She stroked my face, already starting to fade.

"No! You can't leave me again! I won't let you leave me again!" I held on tighter to her hand.

She patted my head, "I never left you Maiha. I was always with you, in your heart. I will meet you again on the next full moon." She hugged me then pulled away. "Beware of Nakia, she will try to harm you and the ones you love. But remember, you _are _ stronger than her and you _can_ defeat her."

"Mom!" I screamed into the night sky as she faded away completely.

* * *

I sat up in my bed gasping, the dream still fresh in my mind. Yuri came running over.

"Are you okay Maiha?" She asked worry creasing her brow. "You were hurt quite bad."

"I'm fine. I need to go." I told her, yanking the covers off me and sliding off the bed.

"No you can't, you're still hurt!" I pulled on my sandals and cloak.

"Yuri, please." I begged her, "I'll be fine. I will explain it to you in the morning when I get back but right now I just need to get out of here." I walked towards door and pulled it open.

"But!-"

I cut her off. "Morning" I told her sternly. I let the door close behind me.

* * *

**Please review! Next chapter: Zannanza and Maiha fluff...or might be the one after.**


	10. Author's Note

**Author's Note**

Hey guys! So if you've been following Flower and Sword _and _have been reading my notes at the bottom, you should know that I have been planning another Red River fanfic. A sequel to Flower and Sword in fact. Actually I've been planning more than one fanfic. I want to start on another one so I'm adding some info on all the ones that I am planning on writing. Please let me know if someone wants a particular one first. If not I'll do them in the order below excluding the sequel though I have added some info on it. I'll add more info about the chosen fanfic next time.

**Future Fanfics**

Fanfic Number One: Sequel to Flower and Sword

Original Series: **Red River/ Anatolia Story**

New Title: **Warrior and Wisdom**

Main Characters: **User Ramses and Queen Seira **

Fanfic Number Two

Original Series: **Inuyasha**

New Title: **The InuDaiyokai and the Moon**

Main Characters: **Sesshomaru and Princess Sayuri**

Fanfic Number Three

Original Series: **Boys Over Flowers (Korean TV Drama)**

New Title: **Friends and Foes**

Main Characters: **Yoon Ji Hoo and Kang Cho Hee (Cho Hee Burnsworth)**

Fanfic Number Four

Original Series: **Vampire Academy/Bloodlines by Richelle Mead**

New Title: **Spirit Sparks**

Main Characters: **Adrian Ivashkov and Princess Angelica Voda **

* * *

**P.S**

**The names of the OCs and the names for the stories might change but other than that there will be no another changes. **


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